Hobbyhorse



Jan. 9, 1934. .w. F. BURKET HOBBYHORSE Filed July 23 1932 INVENTOR ymw A3 way Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITE STATS Application July 23, 1932.

3 Claims.

This invention relates to hobby horses or the like, and it is among the objects thereof to provide a hobby horse having a rocking motion against the tension of a spring with an exercising member whereby the combined weight of the body mounted on the seat and the action of the exerciser produces the rocking motion and exercises the muscular structure of the user.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a hobby horse structure of the above designated character which shall be of simple, compact, mechanical construction, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and which shall be safe when employed by children for the purpose intended.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a hobby horse structure embodying the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 a vertical cross-sectional View of a spring box employed in the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 a cross-sectional elevational view of the fulcrum post;

Figures 4 and 5 side elevational and top plan views respectively of a pulley arrangement; and,

Figure 6 a cross sectional view through the fulcrum taken along the line VI--VI of Figure 3.

With reference to the several figures of the drawing, the structure therein illustrated cornprises a base 1 having pedestals 2 extending transversely thereof to provide lateral support for the base, and having an upright 3 which is braced on the base 1 by cross members 4 and 5 to give it rigidity and strength.

Mounted on the upright 3 a board or teeter arm 5 having a head '7 and a seat portion 8, board 6 being pivotally joined to the upright 3 by a plurality of straps 9, Figures 3 and 6. The straps are secured underneath the board 6 by screws 10 in spaced relation, and a sleeve or bushing 11 extends through the strap between a pair of side plates 12, the plates 12 being secured to the upright 3 by screws 13, Figure 1. A bolt 14 extends from the exterior of the plates 12 through the bushing or tube 11, and is secured at its threaded portion 15 by a wing nut 16.

The front end of the board 6 is yieldingly biased by a coil spring 17 which is disposed in a cylindrical spring box 18 having a threaded portion 19 screwed into a flange 20 that is secured Serial No. 624,190

by screws 21 to the base 1. The spring 17 is connected to the front end of the board 6 by a rod 22 that extends through a flange closure 23 threaded to the cylindrical spring box 18 at the top thereof, and extends through an opening pro- 0 vided in the board 6 with its threaded portion 23 projecting above the board 6.

The bottom of the rod 22 is provided with a leather washer or piston 25 that is adapted to slide in the cylindrical spring box 18, and the 5 leather or fiber piston is backed up by a metal washer 26 which in turn is held on rod 22 by a lock nut arrangement 27 of the conventional form.

A leather washer 28 is provided on the top end of the spring box 18 and is held by the flange member 23 so that the rod 22, in its axial movement against the tension of coil spring 17, produces a dash-pot action which cushions the motion of the rocking board 6.

The end of rod 22 which projects above the board 6 is provided with a leather washer 29 by means of which it is clamped against the board 6 by a pair of lock nuts 30 that interact with the screw threads of rod 22. A metallic cap 31 of aluminum or the like is disposed overthe end of rod 22 and secured to the board 6 by screws 32.

The object of the spring box construction is to enclose all the movable parts or mechanism of the rocking arm or board to prevent injury to children playing around while the device is in use, although it is apparent that an exposed coil spring, like the spring 17, may be employed. It is also evident that it is not necessary to utilize the spring box 18 as a dash-pot or retarding mechanism, and that the leather or fiber washer 25, which functions as a piston, may be dispensed with.

As shown in Figures 1, i and 5, the board 6 is cut out at 33 to journal a pulley or sheave wheel at which is mounted by a through-bolt 35 extending transversely of the board 6. A rope 36 passes around the pulley 3e and is attached to the base 1 by an eyebolt 37 which constitutes an anchor at one end of the rope. The other end of the rope is looped around the head of the horse 7' passing through eyelets 38 to prevent the rope from dragging or getting caught.

A foot rest or support 39 is provided on the cross member 5 for the feet of the user when the child or person using it is sitting on the seat 8.

The operation of the above described apparatus is briefly as follows:

The board 6 is normally biased by spring 17 to the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, in which position the board 6 may be level or the seat portion thereof slightly raised at an inclination as is customary in this type of device.

When the person is seated on the portion 8, the weight of the body will act against the tension of spring 17 to compress the latter, and as the user grips the rope 36, which is freely slidable through the eyelets 38 and around the pulley 34, he may exert a force in the direction to lift himself on the fulcrum pin 15 by pulling on the rope. In this respect, the rope portion is an exerciser in conjunction with the action of the spring 17, for without the spring 1'? the rope 36 would be of little use.

The apparatus is set in motion by merely imposing all of the weight of the user on the board 6, and as the board is lowered at its seat portion against the tension of the spring 17, a slight pull or tension on the rope 26 will initiate movement of the board in the opposite direction aided by the expansion of the spring 17.

It is evident from the foregoing description of the invention that by combining the exerciser feature of the rope 36 with the action of spring 17, the device affords an exercising function beneficial to the body of the child or person using it as well as the pleasure derived from the rocking action of the board 6 It is further evident that the device shown is susceptible to various modifications in its construction and design without departing from the spirit of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hobby horse structure comprising combination with a teeter arm of a yielding means at one end of said arm for normally biasing the same in one direction of its movement and a manually operable tension means connected to the end of the arm to which the yielding means is attached whereby a force may be exerted in aid of the yielding means to cause a reverse movement of the arm.

2. A rocking horse comprising a teeter arm pivotally mounted on a base, a spring connected at one end of said arm, and an exerciser comprising a rope secured to the base and passing over pulleys provided in said teeter arm whereby the movement of the arm against the tension of the spring may be controlled by exerting tension on said rope.

3. A rocking horse comprising a teeter arm pivotally mounted on a base, a spring box construction comprising a cylinder secured to the base of the device having a coil spring disposed therein, a rod extending axially in the center of said spring connected to one end of said teeter arm and having a piston element below the spring and constituting one abutment for the spring coil, and an exerciser comprising a rope secured to the base and passing over pulleys proided in said teeter arm, whereby the movement of the arm against the tension of the spring may i i be controlled by the tension on said rope.

WILFRID F. BURKET. 

